Atmosphere

Features

Atmosphere and feature ratings above are based on Best Retreats research (November 2026). They will be updated if Flor de la Vida Terapia Integral submits its own information.

Flor de la Vida Terapia Integral: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Retreats in Santa Isabel, Ecuador

Flor de la Vida Terapia Integral is a Cuenca-based practice run by psychologist Carolina Cordero Serrano and physiotherapist Xavier Parra Mondéjar that holds three-night “integrative therapeutic” retreats with one daytime ayahuasca ceremony, one rapé ceremony and individual psychotherapy at Inti Kamari Wellness Lodge in the Yunguilla Valley near Santa Isabel, Azuay, Ecuador, for up to 10 guests for $1,800, per its Retreat Guru program page. It builds in psychotherapy before and after and private rooms. Against that, it has no reviews, names no one who serves the ayahuasca or any lineage, the “medical assessment” is done by a physiotherapist, and no contraindications or emergency plan are published.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: Guests meet at its office in Cuenca and travel about an hour to Inti Kamari Wellness Lodge, a hotel near Quillosisa, about 4 to 5 km from Santa Isabel, Azuay, Ecuador, per Hotels.com; the lodge is not owned by the operator.
• Approach: A pre-retreat psychotherapy session and assessment, a rapé ceremony, one ayahuasca ceremony held from morning to mid-afternoon, group integration and four individual and two group sessions afterward.
• Suitable For: People wanting a short, therapy-framed first experience in a comfortable setting. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: $1,800 for three nights including a private room, meals, transport from Cuenca and the therapy sessions. The listing says the deposit is refundable until a day before and the full payment until 60 days before; the deposit amount is not shown. Airport transfers are not included.
• Overall Assessment: Strong therapy and integration structure in a small group, offset by no track record, unverified credentials, no named ayahuasca practitioner and no published medical safeguards. Directory evaluation: C.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

Flor de la Vida has no reviews on its Retreat Guru page, and none were found on Google, Tripadvisor or other directories. The lodge itself scores 7.0 out of 10 from two hotel reviews. If you have attended, we encourage you to share your experience through our submission form.

🚩 Incident Report

We searched review platforms and English and Spanish-language news for reports involving Flor de la Vida, Carolina Cordero Serrano, Xavier Parra Mondéjar and the Inti Kamari lodge.

• Deaths and serious injuries: None found.
• Sexual misconduct: No allegations found.
• Theft and fraud: None found.
• Legal action: None found.

With no reviews and a listing dating from 2026, this absence offers limited assurance.

If you have experienced or witnessed an incident with this center, please report it confidentially.

🔍 Critical Notes

Who runs it. Carolina Cordero Serrano describes herself as a clinical psychologist, psychotherapist and Andean medicine practitioner with five years in ancestral medicine, per her teacher profile; Xavier Parra Mondéjar describes himself as a physiotherapist trained in Spain with an honorary doctorate in Andean medicine from an unnamed body (both unverified). Neither names a teacher or lineage or says who serves the ayahuasca. No company or RUC was found.

Screening and medical support. The listing promises interviews and a “medical and personal history assessment”, but that assessment is done by the physiotherapist and no physician is named. No contraindication list or emergency protocol is published. Santa Isabel’s basic public hospital has an operating room and laboratory, per the Ministry of Public Health, roughly 10 to 15 minutes away (our estimate); higher-level care is in Cuenca.

Listings. Retreat Guru describes air conditioning and a spa with jacuzzi and steam bath, while hotel platforms list fans and no spa, and the retreat is described as both four days and three nights.

Status. Operating, with a retreat listed for 15 to 18 January 2027; an earlier September 2026 date has no reviews.

Legal context. Ayahuasca is not formally legalized in Ecuador but ceremonies are generally tolerated, per TripBase, and there is no permit regime for retreats; a July 2026 health ministry resolution says recognition of an ancestral medicine association does not replace a health operating permit.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

A therapy-framed program without a published contraindication list or a physician leaves medical screening unclear. ICEERS notes that ayahuasca’s MAOI component makes it dangerous with SSRIs and other serotonergic drugs and that it is contraindicated for people prone to psychosis. Never stop a psychiatric medication to qualify for a ceremony without your prescriber’s guidance.

🧪 Brew Substance

Ayahuasca from an unnamed source and practitioner. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: The warm Yunguilla Valley south of Cuenca, with gardens, two outdoor pools and a small lake.
• Rooms: Private rooms with private bathrooms, chosen as part of the therapy.
• Style: A psychotherapy-led retreat using Andean framing, rapé and a single ayahuasca ceremony.

Practical guidance: Fly to Cuenca (CUE), arriving a day early; the group leaves from the Cuenca office at 8:00 on Friday.

Should You Book?

Possibly, if you want a short, therapy-led program. Ask in writing who prepares and serves the ayahuasca and their training, Carolina’s professional license, the contraindication list, whether a physician reviews your history, the emergency plan and nearest hospital, the deposit amount, and the legal entity you are paying. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

The founders describe themselves as life partners combining psychotherapy, physiotherapy and Andean medicine; the listing appears to date from early 2026. We did not independently verify anyone’s training.

Prep & Integration Tips

Before you go: Disclose every medication and condition in writing and plan any change with your own doctor. After you return: Use the individual and group integration sessions offered and arrange support from a qualified therapist at home. Our guide on how to research ayahuasca incidents can help you check any center.

Pros & Cons

Book Your Ceremony

Dates are listed on Retreat Guru. Best Retreats does not take bookings; learn more about our mission.

Last reviewed November 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult a qualified medical professional.